Battery connector



Nov. 21, 1 950 c, A. oLsON 2,531,291

BATTERY CONNECTOR Filed Aug. 5, 1947 C! 5 j' INVENTOR.

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/4 ..v 4 ATTE R N EYE Patented Nov. 21, 1,950

UNIT-ED STATES PATENT OFFICE BATTERY CONNECTOR ICarl A. lson,rBellevue, Nebr.

Application August 5, 1947, Serial No. 766,263

3 Claims. 1

My present invention relates to an improved electrical connector for use where a quick-acting, temporary or permanent electrical connection is required, such as in laboratories, on switchboards, portable power plants, and other appliances.

For convenience of illustration and description I have disclosed one physical embodiment of my invention as a detachable, screw-operated clamp device for simultaneously securing an electrical cable, and mounting the electrical connector upon a protruding end of a battery terminal post.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a detachable connector of this type which may with facility be manufactured at low cost of production from a minimum number of parts; and the parts may be assembled with con.

of construction and combinations and arrange` ments of parts as Will hereinafter be described and more particularly set forth in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings I have disclosed a complete example of a physical embodiment of my invention in which the parts are combined and arranged in accord with one mode I have devised for the practical application of the principles of my invention. It will however be understood that changes and alterations are contemplated and may be made in these exemplifying drawings as well as in the electrical and mechanical structures, within the scope of my claims, without departing from the principles of the invention.

Figure 1 is a View in elevation showing so much of a conventional battery as is necessary to ilustrate the installation of the connector.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the structure of Fig. l.

Figure 3 is a bottom plan view of the connector and cable attached thereto.

Figure 4 is an enlarged detail vertical sectional view of the connector at line 4-4 of Fig. 2; and

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view at line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

In order that the general arrangement and utility of parts may readily be understood I have disclosed in the assembled views Figs. 1 and 2 a portion of a standard or conventional battery B andl one of its terminal posts P, to which the usual cable C with its reduced end E is connected,

and the cable is equipped with the customaryv attaching clip or eyelet A.

The body I of the connector, which is manufactured of soft non-corrosive metal or other suitable material, is fashioned with a countersunk and horizontally disposed socket 2 that is adapted to receive a portion of the cable and its reduced end, and in addition the connector is provided with a socket or vertical bore 3 for mounting the device on the battery terminal post P as shown.

A vertically-disposed slot l is also fashioned in the connector that opens to the post-socket, and this upright slot which is vopen at top and bottom is bounded by an end upright wall 5 which terminates in an upper elevated head S having an interior oblique or diagonal fulcrum face 1. i

Within the slot 4 is mounted an angular clamp member having an upper exterior comparatively long arm 8, and a shorter vertically disposed clamp leg 9 that is mounted in the sot 4 for impingement with a denting effect against the exterior surface of the post P. At the exterior apex of the angular clamp block a rounded rocking face or fulcrum I0 is fashioned for co-action with the complementary plane face 'l of the head 6 and means are provided for simultaneously and securely clamping both the connector and the cable, as well as the connector and the terminal post.

For this purpose the clamping member is mounted on the upper end of the post P with the clamp leg loosely fitting in the slot 4, and a thumb screw Il having a head or handle l2 is threaded in a bore I3 of the clamp arm 8 near its free end. By turning the thumb screw the arm 8 is elevated or raised, and the leg 9, conned for pivotal movement in its slot, is drawn against the post as the clamp member rocks or fulcrums on the faces 'l and Iii, and pressure is thus applied on a line perpendicular to the plane face of the head. In this manner the clamp member is held in eective position, and the clamp leg is caused to indent the adjoining surface of the post for rigidly securing all movable parts of the connector.

The cable C with its insulated and reduced end E, tted in the countersunk cable socket 3 to protect the insulation from unravelling, is clamped and retained in fixed position by means of a cross bar i4, rectangular in cross section, that is pressed into a complementary transverse bore or groove l5 in the body of the connector, and located just beneath the thumb screw. By locating the clamp block under, and

in the path of the thumb screw Il, it will be apparent that by turning the screw against the bar I4, as indicated in Figs. 4 and 5, the bar is forced into frictional contact with the walls of the groove, and into clamping contact with the end E of the cable, for rigidly securing the latter in the body of the connector.

The various parts of the connector unit are preferably constructed of non-corrosive material, and due to the interior and exterior formation of the connector, it provides a protective enclosure for the battery post, or other support, and the cable, to insure and maintain a clean and effective contact between connected parts.

Through co-action of the thumb screw and the spring effect of the resilient angular clamp member, the parts are constantly held under rigid tension, to resist vibrations that would Otherwise tend to loosen the connections. The leg of the angular clamp member readily adapts and adjusts itself to a mutilated. or marred post or support, as Well as to a perfect post, in clamping the connector' without undue strain on the post; or support.

When necessary the thumb'. screw may manually bev turned or operated to release' the connector from its post by disengaging the clampv leg therefrom, without disconnecting the cablefrom the connector; and with su-nicient force the cross cla-mp bar I4 may be loosened and the cable may be pulled out of its socket for removal or replacements.

Having thus fully describedmy invention, what I. claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

L. In a battery connector for electrically connecting a terminal post to an electric cable, a body providedv with a horizontally-disposed socket.y for thev reception of an end of said cable, there being a vertically-disposedl bore in said body for the reception of said terminal post, said body being provided with a vertically-disposed slot arranged in communication with said bore, said slot being arranged at right angles with: respect to said socket and said slot extend- .f

ing longitudinally with respect to said bore, said socket and slot beingy arranged on opposite sid-es of said. bore, an. upright wall arranged contiguous` to said. slot and provided with an elevated head on its upper end, there being a diagonal fulcrum face arranged onv said head, an angular clamp block including a leg positioned in said slot and mountedv for movement into and out of contacting relation with respect to said terminal post, said clamp block being provided with a rocking face for coaction with the fulcrum face of the elevated head, an arm arranged at right angles with respect to the leg and secured thereto, there being a groove in said body communicating with said horizontally-disposed socket, a cross-bar slidably seated in said groove for engagement with the end of said cable, and means carried by said arm for biasing said crossbar into locking engagement with the end of said cable and simultaneously drawing the leg of the clamp into looking engagement with said terminal post.

2. The apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein said last-named means comprises a thu-mb screw arranged in threaded engagement with said arm, for contacting the upper end of the cross-bar, and a handle on said thumb screw for actuating the latter.

3. In anv electrical connector, a body having a cable socket, a post bore arranged at right angles with respect to said cable socket, and a spaced Wall forming a slot and terminating in an angular fulcrum face, said slot being parallel with said bore and communicating with said bore, said slot and socket being arranged on opposite sides of said bore, an angular resilient clamp member having an arm mounted in the slot for impingement against the post, an exterior arm and a fulcrumv point on the clamp member for coaction with said fulcrum face, a thumb screw threaded through the arm, and a crossbar tted in a groove. of the body beneath the thumb screw for impi-ngement against a cable endv in the cable socket.

CARL A. OLSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the lf: of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 423,310 Chamberlain Mar. 11, 18.90 510,898 Curtis Dec. 19, 1893 1,810,396 Gillar June 16 1931 2,381,331 Ayers Aug. 7. 1945l FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 42,551 Germany Mar. 26, 1888 384,900 England Dec. 15, 1932 

